Architecture

The Columbia Encyclopedia,... The Concise Oxford... The Oxford Companion to... World Encyclopedia Further reading

cathedral

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

cathedral church in which a bishop presides. The designation is not dependent on the size or magnificence of a church edifice, but is entirely a matter of its assignment as the church in which the bishop shall officiate.

Romanesque cathedrals (see Romanesque architecture and art ) were massive, blocklike, domed and heavily vaulted structures based on the traditional basilica form, reflecting the style dominant in Europe from c.1050 to c.1200. The tall, wide nave arcade or colonnade, flanked by shallower, shorter aisles, ran from decorative exterior portals to a large ambulatory and an apse with radiating chapels. The nave was crossed by a transept and illuminated by a clerestory pierced by small windows so as not to diminish the strength of the supporting walls. The Romanesque cathedral is a strong visual whole with interrelated parts that emphasize its basic structural clarity.

The great cathedrals of the 13th and 14th cent. are the culminating expression of Gothic architecture . These buildings are distinctive in their consistent use of ribbed vaults , pointed arches , rose windows , buttresses , geometric tracery , and variegated stained glass . All of these elements were combined into a design of infinite complexity and richness. Gothic interior structure, also based on basilica form, included a long central arcaded or colonnaded nave with flanking aisles, a transept, a choir, ambulatory, and apse with radiating chapels. Stained glass was used to create a light, lacy effect of spiderweb airyness, made possible by buttressing the comparatively thin walls. The exterior facade was ornamented with great portals covered with sculpture and surmounted by double towers. Further towers often rose above transepts and crossing, and the rear portion of the entire edifice was engulfed in a profusion of buttresses and pinnacles. The building's structure is entirely subordinated visually to the intricacy of its details.

Among the most important medieval cathedrals are the following: France —Amiens, Beauvais, Bourges, Chartres, Le Mans, Notre-Dame de Paris, Rouen, Reims, Strasbourg; England— Canterbury, Durham, Ely, Lincoln, Peterborough, Salisbury, Wells, Westminster Abbey, Winchester, York; Germany— Bonn, Cologne, Mainz, Speyer, Ulm, Worms; Belgium— Antwerp, Brussels, Louvain, Ypres; Italy— Como, Florence, Milan, Monreale, Orvieto, Pisa, Siena, Spain— Ávila, Burgos, Barcelona, Salamanca, Seville, Toledo; Sweden— Lund, Uppsala. Among major cathedrals built in modern times and adhering to medieval styles of architecture are St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (Episcopal) in New York City and the cathedrals of Washington, D.C., and Liverpool, England.

Bibliography: See O. von Simson, The Gothic Cathedral (1956); A. Rodin, Cathedrals of France (1960); G. H. Cook, The English Cathedral through the Centuries (1965); L. Baxter, The Cathedral Builders (1978); J. Gimpel, The Cathedral Builders (tr. 1983); C. Wilson, The Gothic Cathedral (1990).

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"cathedral." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"cathedral." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-cathedra.html

"cathedral." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-cathedra.html

Learn more about citation styles

cathedral

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church | 2000 | | Copyright

cathedral. The church which contains the throne or cathedra of the bishop of the diocese. It is usually large and of some splendour. It was originally served by the bishop and his household, but responsibility for the cathedral was gradually delegated to a separate body of clergy, which developed into an ecclesiastical corporation or chapter.

In medieval England, some chapters were secular, some monastic. With the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the religious foundations came to an end. New constitutions were imposed on the cathedrals previously served by religious; they have become known as ‘New Foundations’, in contrast with those which, retaining their medieval statutes, are known as ‘Old Foundations’. The creation of new English dioceses in modern times has brought a corresponding growth of cathedrals. In most cases an existing church has been used, but in some (e.g. Liverpool) new buildings have been erected. In the RC Church the restoration of the hierarchy in England in 1850 was followed by the foundation of cathedrals, e.g. at Westminster.

English cathedrals are now governed by three bodies: the Chapter, consisting of the dean, the residentiary canons, and a few other persons, some lay; the College of Canons, composed of the dean, all canons, the suffragan and full-time stipendiary assistant bishops, and the archdeacons of the diocese; and a Council composed of a lay chairman nominated by the bishop, the dean, and members representing the Chapter, the College of Canons, the cathedral community, and other interests. The cathedral staff also normally includes minor canons, responsible for rendering the priest's part of the musical services, and a choir consisting of an organist, choirmen (sometimes called ‘lay clerks’), and choristers. In the older cathedrals there has been a tradition of high musical performance.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "cathedral." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "cathedral." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-cathedral.html

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "cathedral." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-cathedral.html

Learn more about citation styles

cathedral

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

cathedral (Gk. kathedra, ‘throne’ or ‘seat’) Main church of a bishop's province, the church containing his throne. In the Romanesque period, cathedrals started to become very large and many Gothic cathedrals are gigantic structures. The prototype of the true Gothic cathedral is the Abbey Church of St.Denis near Paris. Suger, the abbot, enlarged the existing Romanesque building in the 12th century, adding a chapel and pointed groin vault. Bigger windows and slender arches gave it a sense of lightness very different from the static solidity of the Romanesque. Among the most remarkable of the great cathedrals of western Europe that followed are Notre-Dame, Paris (begun 1163), and Chartres (begun 1194) in France, Cologne Cathedral in Germany, and Milan Cathedral (begun 1386) in Italy. Some of the finest English examples, such as Canterbury and York, combine Romanesque and Gothic features. St Mark's, Venice, is a magnificent Byzantine example. Central and Eastern European cathedrals often amalgamate Byzantine and western features, while many Spanish cathedrals combine Romanesque, French, German and Moorish features. In Latin America, cathedrals are often of Portuguese or Spanish Renaissance and Baroque origin. The Episcopal Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York is the world's largest Gothic cathedral. See also Byzantine art and architecture; Gothic art and architecture

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"cathedral." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"cathedral." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-cathedral.html

"cathedral." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-cathedral.html

Learn more about citation styles

cathedral

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

cathedral the principal church of a diocese, with which the bishop is officially associated. Recorded from Middle English (as an adjective, the noun being short for cathedral church ‘the church which contains the bishop's throne’), the word comes via Latin from Greek kathedra ‘seat’.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "cathedral." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "cathedral." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-cathedral.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "cathedral." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-cathedral.html

Learn more about citation styles

cathedral

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

cathedral pert. to an episcopal see. XIII. — (O)F. cathédral — late L. cathedrālis, f. L. cathedra — Gr. kathédrā seat, f. CATA- 1 + *hed- :- *sed- SIT; as sb., short for cathedral church XVI.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

T. F. HOAD. "cathedral." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "cathedral." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cathedral.html

T. F. HOAD. "cathedral." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cathedral.html

Learn more about citation styles

cathedral

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

ca·the·dral / kəˈ[unvoicedth]ēdrəl/ • n. the principal church of a diocese, with which the bishop is officially associated: [in names] St. Paul's Cathedral.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"cathedral." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"cathedral." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cathedral.html

"cathedral." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cathedral.html

Learn more about citation styles

Cathedral

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Copyright

Cathedral (Gk., kathedra, ‘seat’). The Christian church building in which a bishop has his official seat.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN BOWKER. "Cathedral." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Cathedral." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Cathedral.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Cathedral." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Cathedral.html

Learn more about citation styles

cathedral

A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture | 2000 | | Copyright

cathedral. Church containing the cathedra, therefore the principal church of the See or Diocese.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "cathedral." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "cathedral." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-cathedral.html

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "cathedral." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-cathedral.html

Learn more about citation styles

cathedral

cathedral •apparel, barrel, carol, Carole, carrel, Carroll, Darrell, Darryl, Farrell •gambrel • spandrel •astral, plastral •cracker-barrel •Errol, feral •petrel, petrol •spectral •central, epicentral, ventral •ancestral, kestrel, orchestral •dextral • Sacheverell • mayoral •sacral • wastrel • cerebral •anhedral, cathedral, dihedral, tetrahedral •hypaethral (US hypethral), urethral •squirrel, Tyrol, Wirral •timbrel, whimbrel •minstrel • arbitral • sinistral • integral •triumviral •spiral, viral •amoral, Balmoral, coral, immoral, laurel, moral, quarrel, sorel, sorrel •cockerel, Cockerell •dotterel • rostral •aboral, aural, choral, floral, goral, oral •austral, claustral •scoundrel • cloistral • neutral • figural •augural •demurral, Durrell •mongrel • sepulchral • lustral •spheral • retiral •crural, jural, mural, neural, plural, rural •illiberal, liberal •natural • federal • peripheral •doggerel • mackerel • pickerel •bicameral, unicameral •admiral •ephemeral, femoral •humeral, numeral •general • mineral • funeral •spatio-temporal, temporal •corporal • tesseral • visceral •bilateral, collateral, equilateral, lateral, multilateral, quadrilateral, trilateral, unilateral •pastoral •electoral, pectoral, prefectoral, protectoral •clitoral, literal, littoral, presbyteral •dipteral, peripteral •doctoral • several • behavioural •conferral, deferral, referral, transferral

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"cathedral." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"cathedral." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-cathedral.html

"cathedral." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-cathedral.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Cathedral visitors to get pounds 2.8m welcome; Plan to attract more... Newspaper article from: Daily Post (Liverpool, England); 12/26/2005
	Cathedral makers in exhibit.(FAMILY TIMES)(FIELD TRIPS) Newspaper article from: The Washington Times (Washington, DC); 7/15/2007
	Cathedrals Under Siege: Cathedrals in English Society, 1600-1700. Magazine article from: The Historian; 6/22/1998